Legal Eagle : A tale of rather tiddled Father Christmas in Leigh!

December 5, 2016 by Melinda @ Giles Wilson

Legal Eagle : A tale of rather tiddled Father Christmas in Leigh!

This is a busy time of year for many businesses and perhaps surprisingly so for lawyers.

This time last year my colleague was called from Leigh on sea Police Station to represent a man accused of burglary; in fact the story sticks in my mind because the call from the Police Station came as we were all packing up to close on Christmas Eve. I remember the laugh that we had because the Police officer told us that the accused said he was not stealing but that he was instead leaving the presents and that he was actually Father Christmas.

This guy was caught on the roof of a house in Leigh Hill.  Reports of his breaking and entering had come in from roads stretched throughout Leigh; he had even been seen coming out of St Clements’ Church and Ugos. Unbelievably for a cat burglar the descriptions were of a large overweight older man. As you can imagine we all enjoyed this story but were all quite relieved it was none of us that had to give up our Christmas Eve to go down to the police station to represent this particular client.

However the story itself did not stop there.

Once in the police station, this client claimed to have no ID. He persisted in claiming that his name was Nick…. Nicholas Claus to be precise. He maintained that he lived in the North Pole and that he only visited Leigh on sea on Christmas Eve. He enjoyed Leigh, he said, because of the older style of properties the chimneys were wider; easier for access.

Apparently the interview continued in this bizarre way, until one bright police officer suggested that they breathalyse this guy and that perhaps being drunk may explain his delusions. “Of course I’m drunk”, said the client, “I have been drinking a glass of port or sherry at every house I have been in!”

Stunned, the police just looked blankly at this troublesome detainee, until another piped up and suggested that they abandon the idea of him being a burglar and focus on the drunkenness side of things and charge him with drink driving. “Ah,” said my colleague “ you cannot do that because you did not find him in a car…”. Undeterred the police continued to question the Mr Claus; “how did you get from Kings Road to Leigh Hill?” they asked. “How else, do you think, on my magical sleigh pulled by reindeer”……

I wish you all a lovely Christmas, and if you have a moment, please go to our Giles Wilson Facebook page and vote for the name of our very own blue reindeer at https://www.facebook.com/GilesWilsonSolicitors


This article is by Melinda at Giles Wilson Solicitors

For any legal advice please call Melinda on 01702 477 106 or arrange a visit at one of their three offices; 1711 London Road Leigh, 54 Leigh Broadway, 5 Roche Close Rochford. Leigh-on-Sea Profile: https://www.leigh-on-sea.com/giles-wilson-solicitors-leigh.html
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